


In which Tavek contemplates his new skin

by Overlord_Bethany



Category: Girl Genius (Webcomic)
Genre: Ficlet, Gen, Mid-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-18 01:33:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11863875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Overlord_Bethany/pseuds/Overlord_Bethany
Summary: Introspection is healthy.





	In which Tavek contemplates his new skin

The mirror stood in the corner of the room, an antique glass, a little watery with age. The gilt finish on the frame had chipped and flaked in a few places. At the very bottom, the silver had a spot of tarnish. 

Tarvek Sturmvoraus ignored the tarnish, the damage of the ages. He looked at his own reflection in the glass. A little weathered. A little pale. Tired, and not the sort that sleep can heal. 

His fingertips moved to the place on his chest where he should have a new scar. Only smooth skin there. Nothing at all to indicate that his damn fool cousin had nearly killed him. Again. 

He looked at his new skin, a gift from Gil. Oh, Gil had no idea what it meant, no idea what he’d done, but that was just so Gil, wasn’t it? Wulfenbachs threw stones into history without a care to where the ripples would end. And this…

One by one, Tarvek counted his absent scars. One by one, he named them all. The times he had escaped death by the narrowest margin. The careless accidents that had made lasting marks. The sick signs of affection from Gil’s pet pirate. Father, sister, cousin, friend, self, he named them, and he let them go. 

Agatha had set him free. She didn’t know what she had done either, but she would feel proud to hear it. Then along came Gil, who wouldn’t even bother to care that he’d accomplished this visible renewal. “Thank you for giving me a new skin.” Hah. Gil would think it a strange remark, and Tarvek would miss the old one anyhow, if only a little. 

Well, done was done, wasn’t it? Tarvek could pretend to wear his old skin, if the situation called for it, but he knew better, knew himself better than that. The time had come to complete this transformation. 

The time had come for him to be a new man.


End file.
